Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-05
ON THE RIVER GUNDUCK.

ON THE RIVER GUNDUCK.
The first tinge Of day was Just beginning
to deepen in the east a. my friend Beea
and l set out from my bungalow ope De
cember morning for Q cruise on the river
Gunduck.. It was q glorious morning, one
OF those Of which we have such Q monopoly
in the cold weather months Of India, and
tho cir Of this early hour, the transition
period from night to day, was the sharpest
OF the twenty-four. Delicate films Of ice
covered tho little pools as we passed along,
all to melt With the frst bright glance of sun
and the grass was crisp and white with boar
frost Passing through the ~labyrinths Of
tho large native village that lay in our way
We could see the inhabitants on either side
just beginning to stir, and crouching round
little fires Lit in their verandas a. they cir
culated the early hookah Our follower
with guns and ammunition, and shivering
even within their kumuls or quilts in which
they were wrapped round to the eyes,
looked q il they would fain have Joined
them and sat down to discuss the village
news and gossip, as q preferable mode of
passing the hour. And yet there was some.
thing delightfully."- bracing and mellow in
the air which only those can thoroughly
realize who have passed through the hot
weather.
Midway in the village we reached the
banks Of the broad river, which lac already
cut deeply into it, and was fast cutting
away, till soon the village, which had prob
ably been there from time immemorial,
with its affairs, its temples, it, consecrated
trees, and traditions would become q thing
Of the past Clustering novels, terraced
buildings, and shops lowered on the brink,
while others near at hand, also deserted,
awaited their surely approaching fate.
Among the victims Of the current one huge
sacri6cial banyan tree, consecrated by the
blood Of uncounted kids without spot or
blemish, had, unsaved by it's protecting
deity, toppled over into the turb:d stream,
and with its mighty network Of roots all
barred by the fallen earth and still clinging
its branchea Others also stood on the
brink trembling in the balance. Before US
stretched away the river, q broad CLASSY
sheet Of nearly a mile across, smooth and
placid as a mirror, while from it's opposite
shore extended nearly another mile of sand
which the receding water had left high and
dry. Beyond that still q mile or
two more of tall rank grass and
reeds growing out Of the drifted sand af-
forded good cover for deer Of different
kinds and wild pigs
We now get into our boat Guns and
ammunition are duly put into safe quarters,
and a couple of Palinuri Of swarthy hue are
shipped to steer and propel; and presently
we are skimming silently upstream In the
direction Of q flock Of geese and ducks re-
ported about a mile and a half upwards
Our reasons for being thus early astir were,
as we'll to catch the early air Of the morn
ing, which is the most pleasant Of the day,
as that those birds get more and more shy
as the day advances Not a sound as yet
broke tho stiffness of the morning except
the splash of the oars by tho two figure
heads in bow n stern, or the occasional
faint bark Of a dog; and one could not help
thinking of a Scotch Sabbath, of which In
dian country life in this respect is SO
strongly suggestive. Feeling as if there
was something strangely out of keeping
with the elasticity Of the air in our seden-
tary idleness in the boat, and which rather
inclined to strong muscular exercise, such
Is riding, running, or leaping, Begg and l
took tho oars from the mulahs and laid to
them with a will On we fly with re-
doubled speed, while clouds Of tobacco
smoke ascending from a couple of meer-
schaums counterfeit the clouds of mist that
were now beginning to roll up of the river;
and presently the SUM-, q huge red ball, be-
gins to glow through the mangoe trees IN
shore. Soon we could hear the faint cack-
ling Of birds borne down on the wat.
This growing more and more distinct, we
resigned our oars to the mulahs, and betook
ourselves to our guns; and as the sun raised
the mist off the river we could see our
feathered friends, a tempting panorama,
spread over the water about a quarter of a
mile distant There were several magni-
ficent flocks of them. which q binocular
showed to be birds of every feather and
size, from the large geese and magnificent
red-crested duck or laalseer down to the
smallest teal. They spot us now, for some
of the outposts are beginning to crane
up their necks and eye US suspiciously. Our
only chance is to keep nearly straight up
river as if we were mild Hindoos padding
our grain boat, or mulahs in search of fish,
and SO gradually verge nearer till we get
within range. Failing our smaller guns,
We hoped at least to ave q chance with
mons Meg" a famous piece of sporting
"artillery" lent me by a Shikari baboo. 1t
was about eight feet long and of cores
ponding calibre, and the charge was simply
gagged out in handfuls Still the birds al
low us to approach, but they nave dropped
their careless chatter now, and are cycling
warily. A hundred yards or two will
bring US opposite them. Steadily we verge
nearer, not q sound or movement to startle
them except the steady splash of the oars,
to which they are well used. We are within
range Of mons Meg" now, but we try to
get still nearer till within range of the other
guns also. By this time, however, the out
post teals are swimming in excited circles,
and every moment we expect to see the
dreaded signal given by the rising Of q soil /
tary bird. Up rises one at length, then an
other, and another, till, with a rush like
thunder, the whole flock are on the wing,
and mons Meg" unburdens herself into the
thick of them just as they are clearing the
water. Several birds answered to the sum-
by dropping down again, among
which to our joy we saw some of the larger
ducks, while one or two geese re.
manned on the water, ere they had yet
risen, Tapping their winga Another bird
or W. dropped to our breechloaders from a |
returning wedge that swept unwarily over |
head Counting our spoil, we found that
mons Meg" had answered for five birds,
while the other guns had dropped three,
making a total Of eight Among these were
two geese and three Of the grand red crested
ducks, themselves like small geese. The
rest were teal. While shipping these we
were reminded in rather a startling manner |
Of certain denizens of the water. Begg was
out his hand for the last bird,
which lay lifelcss on the surface, when sud.
denly it was plucked FROM his grasp and
under, and he felt glad his hand had
not boon seized along with it, for be knew
this to proclaim the presence Of c%rocodiles
Our success, however, was SO far s~atisfac-
M pleasing visions Of roast goose
and "laalseer" duck doomed in the near
future
As there was no chance OF our beating up
The same focks again, we retraced our way
down stream to look for others we had
heard Of a mile or so below our starting
point. Every now and again clumsy look
Ing porpoises rolled heavily their huge bulk
on the surface Of the water, as they rose
for air, or foraged about in pursuit Of little
dsh that sometimes leaped in showers
them. A famous cure is their oil